Fig. 1.

Characterization of as-synthesized Au NCs and Au NPs. (a, c, e, g, i) UV–vis absorption spectra of MBA-protected Au₂₅ NCs, Au₁₀₂ NCs, Au₁₄₄ NCs, Au NPs-3 nm, and Au NPs-5 nm. The insets are corresponding digital photos of the NC or NP solutions, their crystal structures and zeta potentials (ζ) [43]. (b, d, f, h, j) Representative TEM images. The insets are the size distribution of the corresponding NCs or NPs. The scale bar is 20 nm.